Blumenthal Statement on U.S. District Court Final Approval of Settlement Providing Relief to Navy & Marine Corps Veterans Wrongfully Denied VA Benefits

Press Release

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement regarding the settlement in Manker v. Del Toro, which guarantees automatic reconsideration and expanded reapplication rights for thousands of Navy and Marine Corps veterans who were wrongfully discharged and denied benefits:

"These veterans were harmed twice -- first, their unfair less-than-honorable discharge and second being denied jobs, educational opportunities and VA benefits. These veterans deserve better. This settlement will help right the wrongs suffered by these veterans who responded to the call to defend our nation. I commend the Yale Law School Clinic for their relentless pursue for justice to these veterans."

On March 2, 2018, Tyson Manker and the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress (NVCLR) filed a nationwide class-action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of less-than-Honorably discharged Navy and Marine Corps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions from the Iraq and Afghanistan era. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of veterans have received less-than-Honorable ("bad paper") discharges. This imposes a lifetime of stigma, impairs their employment prospects, and denies them access to critical government services including disability benefits, mental health treatment, and the GI Bill. Many of these "bad paper" discharges result from misconduct attributable to conditions like PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and related mental health conditions.

Following extensive settlement negotiations, the parties reached an agreement in September 2021. On October 12, 2021 the District Court granted preliminary approval to the proposed settlement agreement, and on February 15, 2022, the District Court granted final approval.

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